Saints fans hail Armstrong following Liverpool cameo
Stuart Armstrong made a rare appearance against Liverpool on Saturday afternoon, and some Southampton fans seem to have been impressed with what they saw.
The midfielder replaced Oriol Romeu just after the hour mark and attempted to inspire his team to a fightback against the European champions.
Danny Ings scored to pull Saints back into the game, but Liverpool came away with a 2-1 win, leaving Southampton in 19th place on the Premier League table after the opening two weekends.
Nevertheless, positives were there to be taken, and these Saints fans hailed Armstrong after his first appearance of the new season…
Twitter: @ReadSouthampton @LukeOsmanRS Think he a very good player just needs a run of games. (@SIMO74310839)
Twitter: @ReadSouthampton @LukeOsmanRS Underused in my book. Good brain on him. Can score and create. Needs a run in my book… https://t.co/GQer0IPpqS (@GlasgowSaint)
Twitter: @ReadSouthampton @LukeOsmanRS Underused, form players keeping him out of the side. If any of the current midfielder… https://t.co/Xpf8892igN (@ScottWSFC)
Twitter: @ReadSouthampton @LukeOsmanRS Made a positive impact coming on at weekend (@RhysThomas2014)
Twitter: @ReadSouthampton @LukeOsmanRS He is underused. JWP & Hoiberg serial back passers. Armstrong first thought is a forw… https://t.co/zQmwmZMyqs (@brenahart)
Twitter: @ReadSouthampton @LukeOsmanRS I really like Armstrong. Works hard and puts teams under pressure. He’s very versatil… https://t.co/Q3RM7mBFBN (@Liam_Houghton98)
Read Southampton’s verdict
There certainly seems to be a consensus that Armstrong is an underrated player, and it’s easy to see why. He hasn’t ever had a proper run of games at Southampton, largely because of mismanagement from Mark Hughes or the tactical systems employed by Ralph Hasenhuttl.
Fewer and fewer top teams are playing with a number 10, and as such, players like Armstrong are finding themselves left with a dilemma: settle for a role as an impact sub or adapt accordingly.
Hasenhuttl brought the Scotsman on against Liverpool and changed the team’s shape to a 3-4-3, with Armstrong operating in a more unfamiliar role on the right-hand side.
Nevertheless, he caught the eye and turned in an industrious, intelligent performance, clearly impressing sections of the fan-base. I certainly wouldn’t have any complaints if he’s on the team sheet at Brighton, with Saints now in need of a confidence-lifting result.